From Here To Eternity : Watch online now with Amazon Instant Video: Burt Lancaster, Jack Warden, Deborah Kerr, Philip Ober, Mickey Shaughnessy, Montgomery Clift, Mickey Sha, Frank Sinatra, Ernest Borgnine, Donna Reed, Fred Zinnemann: Amazon.co.uk By Trevor Willsmer HALL OF FAME TOP 100 REVIEWER on 29 November 2007 Format: DVD From the days when doorstop novels (or at least large chunks of them) were turned into films rather than mini-series, From Here to Eternity may be toned down to please both the censors and the US Army, whose co-operation was vital to the film, but it's still a superb piece of film-making that slips in a few powerful punches between the lines. Set in Pearl Harbor in the months leading up to the Japanese attack, it focuses on two professional soldiers: Prewitt (Montgomery Clift), a hard-headed ex-boxer given 'the treatment' by his commanding officer to force him to fight in the regimental boxing championships, and the company's Top Sergeant (Burt Lancaster), who is having an affair with the officer's frigid wife (Deborah Kerr).

Daniel Taradish's screenplay is a masterpiece of snappy construction, perfectly mirrored by Fred Zinnemann's directorial style that brings out both the toughness and the sentiment with a convincing lack of sensationalism. And what a cast: Lancaster a convincing mixture of toughness and emotional vulnerability, a surprisingly sexy Kerr, Donna Reed playing tough against type, Borgnine at his meanest and a wonderful array of character actors. Clift may make an unlikely boxer, but his performance is one of his best, as is that of Sinatra, always under-rated as an actor on those occasions when he made an effort, as his doomed best friend Maggio. With a good DVD transfer, this is let down by the extras - only a teaser trailer, a making-of featurette that runs a full two minutes (!!!), a brief extract from a documentary about the director and an audio commentary by Tim Zinnemann and Alvin Sargent. This is still well worth adding to your collection, though. Classic films often don't live up to their reputations. This one does. By Peter Kenney on 8 February 2003 Format: VHS Tape This ia a case of an outstanding movie being adapted from a great book.

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY presents a realistic portrait of army life in Hawaii immediately before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The film features strong performances by Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra, Donna Reed, Ernest Borgnine and Montgomery Clift. An extremely competent supporting cast includes Jack Warden, Philip Ober and Mickey Shaughnessy. Burt Lancaster makes a convincing first sergeant. One who is running the show and is full of knowledge about how the army really works. He also has good instincts when it comes time to act as he demonstrates in the showdown with the sadistic "Fatso" played by Ernest Borgnine. Borgnine himself is exceptional in his most famous impersonation of a villain. Frank Sinatra definitely deserves his Oscar in the role of the defiant Maggio. However, after seeing Lee Marvin play a drunk it is hard to appreciate any other actor's attempt compared with Marvin's portrayal of one in PAINT YOUR WAGON. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY was a relatively low-budget production but it still managed to receive five Academy Awards and eight nominations. By The Moonraker on 16 June 2014 Format: DVD|Verified Purchase A superb film - acting, story, cinematography, the lot!

No happy endings for anyone either - just like real life. I was not keen on watching it but my wife wanted to see this old classic to find out what all the fuss was about. Wow - I am so glad she did - one of the best films I have ever seen. Don't be put off by the cheesy scene of the couple in the surf - it lasts 5 seconds and fits the story perfectly. The film itself is gritty, raw and tough - and the main actors are just so damn good at being bad! By Adrian Drew TOP 500 REVIEWER on 3 April 2014 Format: Blu-ray|Verified Purchase The transfer is solid and the image on on blu ray is superior to the DVD version perviously available if not as dazzling as other such transfers. Even if the reworking of the soundtrack into a flamboyant 5.1 track for the bombing at the end of the movie is a little "over the top" for some, it was just about okay for me. So, this fine film, with some excellent performances, is in as good a shape as we can probably expect this 60 year old movie to be.

However as this "review" had already attracted one negative vote my assessment clearly isn't accepted by everyone.... Oh the mysteries of Amazon voting. ByA customeron 18 December 2001 Format: DVD|Verified Purchase My comment is about the Blu-Ray version of this film. Firstly about the film itself: to me, this is one of the best Pearl Harbor movies. The plot is excellent and rather racy for its time. It certainly is one of my favourite classic movies of all times. Now to the Blu-Ray version. I was hugely excited when I heard that this beloved movie was about to come out on DVD. While the picture and the sound is good, I was actually surprised to see that the picture was not quite as sharp as I would have expected it to be. In fact some scenes, and this includes the famous beach scene with Janet Leigh and But Lancaster, are quite dark, even darker than on the older DVD. My impression is therefore that the DVD version has been transferred to Blu-Ray with the necessary picture enhancements, but there hasn't been a remastering of the old movie. Now having said that, it is still well worth having on Blu-Ray.

Audience Reviews for From Here to Eternity ½ The camera loves Montgomery Clift and his perfect face, and he is exceptional as always along with Lancaster and Sinatra, but while during its first hour it feels like a film that you can watch forever, it soon starts to drag and make all too evident its lack of a well-defined structure. Carlos Magalhães Super Reviewer Set in the weeks leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, this is an easy paced (re: leisurely) melodrama focusing on several people at and around the Schofield Army Barracks in Honolulu. It's based on an acclaimed novel (though the film was heavily toned down) and won a ton of Oscars, including Best Picture. It's a fair enough film, although I think it's mostly carried by the performances rather than the story lines, and also the performances probably stand out as better overall than the film as a whole. I wasn't sure I'd like it, what with all you ever seem to hear about it being in reference to the legendary scene where Lancaster and Kerr embrace on a beach as waves crash around them.

There's some macho guy type stuff, and that's good, but I could have used more of that, and just an uncompromised adaptation in general. The cast is notable, with appearances from Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank SInatra (in a great, Oscar winning role), and the wonderful Ernest Borgnine as an antagonist of sorts. They all do a great job, and Sinatra I feel did really deserve his Oscar. All in all, a decent enough film. Zinnemann knew how to tell a great story, and it is shot well, but I don't think it's as good as it's made out to be. Still though, I was entertained, and it is better than the similar stuff that Michael Bay did in his infamous account of Pearl Harbor, so take that as some sort of recommendation. Chris Weber Super Reviewer an oldiie but a goodie a real "classic"~!!! just look at the cast...Burt Lancaster Deborah Kerr Ernest Borgnine Donna Reed Frank Sinatra...wow~!!!

The film (and the book before it) tells the story of bored soldiers stationed in Hawaii in the six months or so before the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. the actors all played there parts well in this one.Its a Romantic Masterpiece and more of a chick flick than a war movie in my opinion. ♥Robyn M♥ Deborah Kerr - Scottish Rose - From Here to Eternity Freeman Lusk .... Col. Wood (uncredited) Tyler McVey .... Maj. Stern (uncredited) Kristine Miller .... Georgette (Lorene's roommate) (uncredited) Patrick Miller .... Bit part (uncredited) Robert Pike .... Maj. Bonds (uncredited) Allen Pinson .... Bit part (uncredited) George Reeves .... Sgt. Maylon Stark (uncredited) Joe Roach .... Bit part (uncredited) Fay Roope .... Gen. Slater (uncredited) Delia Salvi .... Billie (uncredited) Louise Saraydar .... Bit part (uncredited) Alvin Sargent .... Nair (uncredited) Joseph Sargent .... Bit part (uncredited) Joan Shawlee .... Sandra (uncredited) Al Silvani ....

Soldier leaving New Congress Club (uncredited) Angela Stevens .... Jean (uncredited) Brick Sullivan .... Military guard (uncredited) John Veitch .... Bit part (uncredited) Guy Way .... Bit part (uncredited) Norman Wayne .... Bit part (uncredited) Robert J. Wilke .... Sgt. Henderson (uncredited) Jean Willes .... Annette (club receptionist) (uncredited) Norman Wright .... (uncredited) Carleton Young .... Col. Ayres (uncredited) Produced by John P. Livadary .... supervising sound editor (uncredited) Other crew Kendall J. Fielder .... technical advisor (as Brig. Gen. Kendall J. Fielder, Ret.) Arthur Morton .... orchestrator Robert Wells .... lyricist: "Re-Enlistment Blues" Mushy Callahan .... boxing advisor (uncredited) Mack Gordon .... lyricist: "Chattanooga Choo Choo" (uncredited) Irving Lippman .... still photographer (uncredited) Sati Tooray ....

colorist (uncredited) Awards for From Here to Eternity (1953) Academy Awards, USA 1954 Won Oscar Best Actor in a Supporting Role Frank Sinatra 1954 Won Oscar Best Actress in a Supporting Role Donna Reed 1954 Won Oscar Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Burnett Guffey 1954 Won Oscar Best Director Fred Zinnemann 1954 Won Oscar Best Film Editing William A. Lyon 1954 Won Oscar Best Picture Buddy Adler 1954 Won Oscar Best Sound, Recording John P.

Livadary (Columbia SSD) 1954 Won Oscar Best Writing, Screenplay Daniel Taradash 1954 Nominated Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role Montgomery Clift 1954 Nominated Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role Burt Lancaster 1954 Nominated Oscar Best Actress in a Leading Role Deborah Kerr 1954 Nominated Oscar Best Costume Design, Black-and-White Jean Louis 1954 Nominated Oscar Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Morris Stoloff and George Duning BAFTA Awards 1954 Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Film from any Source - USA.

Cannes Film Festival Golden Screen with 1 Star National Film Preservation Board, USA 2002 - National Film Registry New York Film Critics Circle Awards 1953 Won NYFCC Award Best Actor Burt Lancaster 1953 Won NYFCC Award Best Director Fred Zinnemann 1953 Won NYFCC Award Best Film Photoplay Awards Writers Guild of America, USA 1954 Won WGA Award (Screen) Best Written American Drama Daniel Taradash AMG Info for From Here to Eternity (1953) US (1953)- 118 min. - Feature, B&W Plot Synopsis The scene is Schofield Army Barracks in Honolulu, in the languid days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, where James Jones's acclaimed war novel From Here to Eternity brought the aspirations and frustrations of several people sharply into focus. Sergeant Milt Warden (Burt Lancaster) enters into an affair with Karen (Deborah Kerr), the wife of his commanding officer. Private Robert E.

Lee "Prew" Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) is a loner who lives by his own code of ethics and communicates better with his bugle than he does with words. Prew's best friend is wisecracking Maggio (Frank Sinatra, in an Oscar-winning performance that revived his flagging career), who has been targeted for persecution by sadistic stockade sergeant Fatso Judson (Ernest Borgnine). Rounding out the principals is Alma Lorene (Donna Reed), a "hostess" at the euphemistically named whorehouse The New Congress Club. All these melodramatic joys and sufferings are swept away by the Japanese attack on the morning of December 7th. No words could do justice to the film's most famous scene: the nocturnal romantic rendezvous on the beach, with Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr's bodies intertwining as the waves crash over them. If you're able to take your eyes off the principals for a moment or two, keep an eye out for George Reeves; his supporting role was shaved down when, during previews, audiences yelled "There's Superman!" and began to laugh.

From Here to Eternity won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and supporting awards to Sinatra and Reed. Review There were few movies greeted with more anticipation than Fred Zinnemann's From Here to Eternity when it opened in 1953. Adapted from one of the best-selling novels of the previous 10 years, it was a film for which everyone had high expectations. It lived up to all of them and then some, adding a new level of violence and frankness to popular dramatic films just when the public was ready to accept these elements (though the movie couldn't even hint at an aspect that James Jones' novel mentioned almost at its outset: the homosexual advances that Pruett parried from his former sergeant, resulting in his transfer to a rifle company). Burt Lancaster, who'd previously established himself as a hero-victim in a series of films noirs made under the auspices of Universal and as a costume hero in a pair of Warner Brothers period adventure films (The Flame And The Arrow, The Crimson Pirate), transformed himself into the quintessential macho leading man with his performance; Montgomery Clift gave the performance of his life as Robert E.

Lee Pruett, unwilling boxer and trumpet player; ex-navy enlisted man Ernest Borgnine dominated every scene he was in as Sgt. Judson, the most vicious enlisted man seen on screen in a mainstream American movie up to that time; Deborah Kerr, previously known for her plucky, lady-like roles, got to play an unabashedly sexual woman, and a married one at that; Donna Reed, cast against type as the prostitute with delusions of her own, gave the most honest and wrenching performance of her career; and Frank Sinatra, cast against all prevailing wisdom in Hollywood (and beating out Eli Wallach for the choicest supporting role in Hollywood that year), became a great actor overnight as the doomed Maggio. Even Merle Travis, a veritable god among guitar players but an anonymous figure to most filmgoers, got a memorable scene and song (Re-Enlistment Blues) out of the film. From Here to Eternity raised the bar for realism (and the genuine, jagged, if ugly side of life) in war movies, and in movies in general. Amazon.com Review for From Here to Eternity (1953) Here's a model for adapting a novel into a movie.

The bestseller by James Jones, a frank and hard-hitting look at military life, could not possibly be made into a film in 1953 without considerably altering its length and bold subject matter. Yet screenwriter Daniel Taradash and director Fred Zinnemann (both of whom won Oscars for their work) pared it down and cleaned it up, without losing the essential texture of Jones's tapestry. The setting is an army base in Hawaii in 1941. Montgomery Clift, in a superb performance, plays a bugler who refuses to fight for the company boxing team; he has reasons for giving up the sport. His refusal results in harsh treatment from the company commander, whose bored wife (Deborah Kerr) is having an affair with the tough-but-fair sergeant (Burt Lancaster). You remember--the scene with the two of them embracing on the beach, as the surf crashes in. The supporting players are as good as the leads: Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed won Oscars (and Sinatra revitalized his entire career), and Ernest Borgnine entered the gallery of all-time movie villains, as the stockade sergeant who makes Sinatra miserable.

Zinnemann's work is efficient but also evocative, capturing the time and place beautifully, the tropical breezes as well as the lazy prewar indulgence. This one is deservedly a classic. CineBooks' Motion Picture Guide Review for From Here to Eternity (1953) US (1953): Drama/War 118 min, No rating, Black & White CineBooks' Motion Picture Guide Review: 5.0 stars out of 5 The massive James Jones novel, thought to be impossible to convert to the screen, is brought forth here in a powerful, unforgettable portrait of pre-World War II enlisted men, their women, and the grim destiny that overtook them all. Synopsis Dirty detail. The film opens with a young soldier Robert Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) arriving at Schofield Barracks, the army base at Pearl Harbor, after transferring because he refused to continue being a company boxer at his previous post. His new commander, Capt. Holmes (Philip Ober), a brutal, insecure officer, promises Prewitt that if he boxes on the company team, he will be given the post of bugler, a job Prewitt wants very much.

But Prewitt refuses, haunted by ugly experiences in the ring, particularly one bout where he blinded his best friend. He has thus vowed never again to put on the gloves. For Prewitt's obstinacy, Holmes orders his top sergeant, Warden (Burt Lancaster), to give Prewitt every dirty detail in the company. Warden, a by-the-book soldier, empathizes with Prewitt and respects and befriends him, but he becomes angry when he is stonewalled after trying to convince Prewitt to compromise. Personal conflict. Warden is also involved in a secret, torrid affair with Holmes's sluttish wife Karen (Deborah Kerr). Nagging Warden are the rumors that Karen has had many affairs on many Army posts. When he raises questions about this to Karen, she explodes. Holmes himself is also being unfaithful, and he treats Karen as an unwanted concubine. Prewitt bears up under the harsh treatment Holmes administers, his suffering eased by a newly established relationship with a hostess, Alma Lorene (Donna Reed) he has met at the New Congress Club dance hall where enlisted men hang out.

Meanwhile, Prewitt's only other friend Angelo (Frank Sinatra) a wisecracking, tough enlisted man, commits several small offenses and draws repeated company punishment. He and Prewitt meet with their friends in a smoky saloon one night, and Angelo shows his friends some family photos. The beer-bellied, sadistic sergeant of the dreaded stockade Sgt. "Fatso" Judson (Ernest Borgnine) saunters by, picks up a photo of Angelo's sister, and makes an obscene remark about her. Angelo goes berserk and slams a stool down on the back of Judson's head. The giant sergeant turns and says in amazement, "You hit me." "Yeah," snarls Angelo, "and I'm about to do it again!" Judson spits out a racial slur, and the two face each other in what is obviously an uneven match. When Judson pulls a switchblade, Warden, who has been sitting with some other sergeants, jumps up and tells both men to stop. Angelo obeys, but Judson sneers and makes a move toward Angelo.

Warden breaks a bottle and juts the jagged edge toward Judson, telling him that he will take on the stockade sergeant if he doesn't quit. Judson will not face Warden and puts the knife away, but he warns Angelo before leaving that someday Angelo will wind up in the stockade where he will be waiting. His own way. Prewitt continues to do dirty details; saddled with kitchen police, he jokes with Warden that he might find a pearl in the dishwater. He is less jocular with Alma, explaining that his real dream has always been to play taps at Arlington National Cemetery. He has demonstrated his wonderful musical ability during the barroom scene, and he forever carries his own bugle mouthpiece to remind him of his ambition. Yet he is immovable in his resolve to resist Holmes' pressures to fight, later explaining his philosophy (and that of most of the old Army regulars) by stating that "A man's gotta go his own way or he's nothin"' and "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." Prewitt tells Alma that he's been in the Army since age seventeen and that "I'm a thirty-year man. I'm in for the whole ride." Revenge.

One night Prewitt gets drunk with Warden, and the two declare their friendship while sitting in the middle of the road. Just then Angelo, who has gone AWOL and been thrown in the stockade, staggers down the road and collapses into Prewitt's arms. Battered and bleeding, he describes how he escaped the stockade after not being able to take Judson's beatings anymore. He smuggled himself aboard a garbage truck and then fell off the truck, having been injured internally. He dies in Prewitt's arms, and Prewitt vows revenge. Later Prewitt finds Judson coming out of a downtown Pearl Harbor bar and inveigles him into an alley where he confronts him with Angelo's death. The sneering stockade brute pulls his knife, but Prewitt yanks out a switchblade of his own. Both men rush each other, with Judson severely injuring Prewitt, but Prewitt manages to mortally wound Judson, who dies in the alley. Prewitt staggers off to take refuge in Alma's house, recuperating until he can rejoin his outfit. Warden carries Prewitt on the roll call even though he is AWOL.

By this time, Holmes has been relieved of his command. Earlier, St. Galovitch (John Dennis), the heavyweight of the company boxing team, had tried to embarrass Prewitt and then picked a fight with him in the parade ground, beating him mercilessly until Prewitt fought back, pounding Galovitch senseless while Holmes watched without attempting to interfere. Staff officers witnessed the fight and Holmes' do-nothing attitude, which later causes him to be relieved. Warden, meanwhile, has broken off with Karen, preferring, like his friend Prewitt, to give his whole allegiance to the Army. Pearl Harbor. Then, early Sunday morning, December 7, while Warden and other soldiers are entering the mess hall for breakfast, a roar of engines is heard. Warden steps outside to see a lone soldier running across the parade ground screaming unintelligibly, and a lone fighter plane following him, strafing the barracks and field and killing the running soldier. Warden races into the mess hall and orders all enlisted men to put on their helmets and get beneath their bunks. The bombs start falling, while distant explosions signal the sinking of the U.S. battleships helplessly anchored in the harbor.

Warden breaks into the armory and issues automatic weapons to his sergeants, who clamber to the roofs of Schofield Barracks to return fire at the Zeros streaming overhead. Warden, holding a heavy machine gun, knocks down a Japanese fighter to the cheers of his men. Prewitt, though still bleeding from his knife-fight wound, insists upon returning to his company now that war has broken out. Alma tries to stop him, but he gives his last loyalty to the service that has been so rigid with him. Running past nervous sentinels on guard against Japanese invasion forces, Prewitt is shot to death when not halting to be identified. Warden finds his body and tells an officer that Prewitt "was always a hardhead but the best damned soldier I ever knew." With World War II begun, civilians depart Pearl Harbor by boat, among them Alma and Karen who meet on a liner, both looking back at the receding Pearl Harbor where they're leaving behind lost loves. Alma lies to Karen, telling her that Prewitt was a fighter pilot who was killed while taking off to meet the Japanese fighters. They toss their leis into the water at film's end. Background A flawless film.

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY was thought difficult to produce as a film since the novel was so heavily laced with foul language and sex. Fred Zinnemann's masterful direction and Daniel Taradash's tough, emotion-packed script, along with the outstanding portrayals by the entire cast, produced a flawless film, however. Zinnemann endured an uphill battle all the way, mostly with Columbia's head, Harry Cohn. Cohn had purchased the novel for $82,000 and was determined to retain its seamy story, raw language, and violence, rejecting one adaptation after another. The Army was not happy with Jones's fierce indictment of its system and refused use of Schofield Barracks unless some major concessions were made. One chief point involved Ober's role. In the novel he gets away with everything, even being promoted to major, but in the film he is cashiered for his cruelty and malfeasance. Cohn personally oversaw the entire production, flying to Hawaii to visit the on-location shootings and sets, and lavishly permitted a $2 million budget. He demanded that the film be brought in promptly, and Zinnemann wrapped it up in 41 days.

Cohn was elated with the financial and critical success of the film, as it grossed $19 million in its first run. When the rest of the industry was turning to 3-D, wide-screen, and rampant color, the old Hollywood formula of black-and-white could still generate profits. The production would eventually soar beyond $80 million in receipts. Casting. The feature roles were also difficult to cast over Cohn's whimsical supervision. Cohn felt Clift was too temperamental, but eventually Zinnemann did hire Clift, for $150,000. Clift loved Taradash's tight, realistic script and immediately went into training for the role, one where he stayed drunk through most of the production. (In the drunk scene with Lancaster, Clift actually was intoxicated.) Clift's performance was nevertheless stunning, and he was positive he would win an Oscar. (Manny Klein dubbed the wonderful blues Clift plays on the bugle, including the "Reenlistment Blues.") Clift became depressed when he didn't win an Academy Award, and his career plummeted.

He valued for the rest of his life the consolation prize that Zinnemann gave himï¿½a miniature gold trumpet mounted like an Oscar. Conversely, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY provided Sinatra with a real career boost, as his vocal cords had hemorrhaged, he had gained unfavorable publicity from his wooing of Ava Gardner, and he owed the government more than $100,000 in back taxes. Sinatra and wife Gardner begged Cohn for the Maggio role, and after Sinatra gave an impressive screen test, Cohn hired him at rock-bottom prices, paying him a mere $8,000. Sinatra's performance was nothing less than electrifying, and he suddenly became a much sought-after actor. The part of the slatternly, lonely officer's wife was initially given to Joan Crawford, but when she was told what plain attire she would have to wear, she exploded: no designer originals, no Crawford. Kerr, a rather distant actress, was thought to be perfect for the trysting wife, all the more sensuous by virtue of her cool posture that thaws in the memorable beach scene where she and Lancaster make love as the surf washes over them.

Even Reed was not the first choice for her part, Julie Harris having been originally selected by Zinnemann. Cohn objected, calling Harris a "child frightener," and insisted that Reed play the role of the prostitute (changed to a hostess for the film). Pauline Kael Review for From Here to Eternity (1953) US (1953): Drama/War 118 min, No rating, Black & White Prewitt, the bugler-hero of James Jones' Dreiserian novel about Army life in Hawaii before Pearl Harbor, is a soldier who loves the Army (he's committed to be a 30-year man), yet he believes that "if a man don't go his own way, he's nothin'." The conflict between his status and his determination to have his rights is the mainspring of the action. Jones' bulky book does such an honest job of storytelling that it triumphs over its pedestrian prose; the movie succeeds by the smooth efficiency of Fred Zinnemann's lean, intelligent direction, and by the superlative casting.

Montgomery Clift's bony, irregularly handsome Prewitt is a hardhead, a limited man with a one-track mind, who's intensely appealing; Clift has the control to charmï¿½almost to seduceï¿½an audience without ever stepping outside his inflexible, none-too-smart character. Burt Lancaster has a role that's just about perfectly in his range as Sergeant Warden, the man's man who's also a ladies' man (the lady is Deborah Kerr); Frank Sinatra, in his first straight acting part, surprised audiences with a softly modulated, likable performance as Maggio, who loses his life because of his high spirits; Ernest Borgnine is the smiling, innocently murderous Fatso; Donna Reed is the respectable prostitute. This was the movie of its year, as ON THE WATERFRONT was to be the next year, and not just because each swept the Academy Awards, but because these films brought new attitudes to the screen that touched a social nerve; they weren't the same kind of winner as BEN-HUR. Yet a displacement occurs in the course of the action here: Prewitt's fate gets buried in the commotion of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

And Clift's innovative performance was buried in the public praise for Sinatra and Lancaster. It was almost as if the public wanted to forget Prewitt's troublesome presence. The remarkably compact screenplay is by Daniel Taradash. Produced by Buddy Adler, for Columbia; cinematography by Burnett Guffey. With Philip Ober, Harry Bellaver, and Mickey Shaughnessy. Leonard Maltin Review for From Here to Eternity (1953) US (1953): Drama/War 118 min, No rating, Black & White Leonard Maltin Review: 4.0 stars out of 4 Toned-down but still powerful adaptation of James Jones' novel of Army life in Hawaii just before Pearl Harbor. Depiction of Japanese sneak attack combines unforgettable action scenes with actual combat footage. Brilliantly acted by entire cast, including Sinatra in his "comeback" role as the ill-fated soldier Maggio. Eight Oscars include Best Picture, Director, Screenplay (Daniel Taradash), Cinematography (Burnett Guffey), and Supporting Actors Sinatra and Reed. Remade in 1979 as a TV mini-series, which in turn spun off a brief series.

Memorable Quotes from From Here to Eternity (1953) Angelo Maggio: Only my friends can call me a little Wop! Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: Nobody ever lies about being lonely. Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: A man don't go his own way, he's nothing. Sergeant Milton Warden: Maybe back in the days of the pioneers a man could go his own way, but today you got to play ball. Karen Holmes: Come back here, Sergeant. I'll tell you the story; you can take it back to the barracks with you. I'd only been married to Dana two years when I found out he was cheating. And by that time I was pregnant. I thought I had something to hope for. I was almost happy the night the pains began. I remember Dana was going to an officers' conference. I told him to get home early, to bring the doctor with him. And maybe he would have... if his "conference" hadn't been with a hat-check girl! He was drunk when he came in at 5 AM. I was lying on the floor.

I begged him to go for the doctor, but he fell on the couch and passed out. The baby was born about an hour later. Of course, it was dead. It was a boy. But they worked over me at the hospital, they fixed me up fine, they even took my appendix out -- they threw that in free. Sergeant Milton Warden: Karen... Karen Holmes: And one more thing: no more children. Sure I went out with men after that. And if I'd ever found one that... Sergeant Milton Warden: Karen, listen to me, listen. Karen Holmes: I know. Until I met you I didn't think it was possible either. Alma: Sit down and -- and get comfortable. I'll make you a martini and see what's to cook for dinner. Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: Hey, this is like being married, ain't it? Alma: It's better. [Warden brings papers to Holmes' house for his signature, knowing that only his wife would be there.] Karen Holmes: Are these really important? Sergeant Milton Warden: Yes, but not important they get signed today. Tomorrow's okay.

[She rips them up.] Sergeant Milton Warden: I have copies at the office, so it won't be much work to fix 'em up. Karen Holmes: That's what I like about you, Sergeant: you have confidence. It's also what I dislike about you. Sergeant Milton Warden: It's not confidence, ma'am; it's honesty. I just hate to see a beautiful woman going all to waste. Karen Holmes: Waste, did you say? There's a subject I might tell you something about. I know several kinds of waste, Sergeant. You're probably not even remotely aware of some of them. Would you like to hear? For instance, what about the house without a child? There's one sort for you. Then there's another... You're doing fine, Sergeant. My husband's off somewhere, and it's raining outside, and we're both drinking now. You've probably only got one thing wrong. The lady herself. The lady's not what she seems. She's a... washout, if you know what I mean... and I'm sure you know what I mean! Sergeant Milton Warden: You going to cry? Karen Holmes: Not if I can help it.

What are you doing? Sergeant Milton Warden: I'm leaving. Isn't that what you want? Karen Holmes: I don't know, Sergeant. I don't know. [He kisses her.] Karen Holmes: Don't try to be gallant, Sergeant. If you think this is a mistake, come right out and say so. ...Well, I guess it's about time for me to be heading home, isn't it? ...Well, isn't it? Sergeant Milton Warden: What's the matter? What started all this, anyway? You think I'd be here if I thought it was a mistake? Taking a chance on 20 years in Leavenworth for making dates with the company commander's wife? And her acting like-- like Lady Astor's horse, and all because I got here on time! Karen Holmes: Well, on the other hand, I've got a bathing suit under my dress... Sergeant Milton Warden: Me, too! Karen Holmes: I never knew it could be like this! Nobody ever kissed me the way you do. Sergeant Milton Warden: Nobody? Karen Holmes: No, nobody. Sergeant Milton Warden: Not even one?

Out of all the men you've been kissed by? Karen Holmes: [giggling] Now that'd take some figuring. How many men do you think there've been? Sergeant Milton Warden: I wouldn't know. Can't you give me a rough estimate? Karen Holmes: Not without an adding machine. Do you have the adding machine with you? Sergeant Milton Warden: I forgot to bring it. Karen Holmes: You certainly chose a lovely spot for our meeting. I've had three chances to be picked up in the last five minutes. Captain Dana Holmes: You know why you were assigned to G Company? Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: No, sir. Captain Dana Holmes: I pulled a few strings. I'm the regimental boxing coach, you know. Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: Yes, sir. Captain Dana Holmes: I saw your fight with Connors in the Bowl, year before last. You should've won it. Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: Thank you, sir. Captain Dana Holmes: Our regiment got beaten in the finals last December, but I mean to win this year.

All I've needed is a top middleweight. Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: I'm sorry, sir. I quit fighting. Captain Dana Holmes: Quit fighting? When? What for? Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: Well, over a year ago. Maybe you heard about what happened with Dixie Wells? Captain Dana Holmes: You mean that fellow that got hurt? Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: Yes, sir. Captain Dana Holmes: Yes, I heard about that. It's too bad. I can understand how you feel, but those things happen. Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: That's why I decided I would quit, sir. Captain Dana Holmes: You might as well say stop war because one man got killed! Alma: Prew, it's true we love each other now, we need each other, but back in the States it might be different. Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: That ain't the real reason. Alma: You're right, it's not. Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: What is the real reason?

Alma: I -- I won't marry you because I don't want to be the wife of a soldier. Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: Well, that... would be about the best I could ever do for you. Alma: Because nobody's going to stop me from my plan. Nobody, nothing. Because I want to be proper! Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: Proper. Alma: Yes, proper! In another year I'll have enough money saved. Then I'm going to go back to my home town in Oregon, and I'm going to build a house for my mother and myself, and join the country club and take up golf. Then I'll meet the proper man with the proper position, to make a proper wife, and can run a proper home and raise proper children. And I'll be HAPPY because when you're PROPER you're SAFE! Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: You've got guts, honey. I hope you can pull that off. Alma: I do mean it when I say I need you. 'Cause I'm lonely. You think I'm lying, don't you? Robert E.

Lee "Prew' Prewitt: Nobody ever lies about being lonely. Sergeant Maylon Stark: Leva tells me you've been eyeing the Captain's wife like a hound dog at hunting time. Angelo Maggio: Let's go to a phone booth or something, huh? Where I will unveil a fifth of whiskey, I have hidden here under my loose, flowing sports shirt. Annette: That'll be four bucks, babyface. Two for initiation fee, two for this month's dues. Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: What do I get for it? Annette: Members are entitled to all privileges of the club, which includes dancing, snack bar, soft drink bar, and gentlemanly relaxation with the opposite gender -- so long as they ARE gentlemen, and no liquor is permitted, got it? Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: Well, what am I? I'm a private no-class dogface. The way most civilians look at that, that's two steps up from nothin'. Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: A man should be what he can do. Karen Holmes: If you're looking for the Captain... he ain't here.

Sergeant Milton Warden: [eyes Karen coyly] And if I ain't lookin' for the Captain? Karen Holmes: Then he still ain't here. Karen Holmes: [to Sgt. Warden standing outside her porch in the pouring rain] Well, you'd better come inside.... you'll get wet. Alma: [Maggio offers her a drink] No, thanks, I don't drink. [Maggio gives her a look.] Alma: I think it's a weakness. Angelo Maggio: I grant ya that. Alma: [to Prewitt] You don't like weakness do you? Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: No, I don't like weakness... but I like to drink! Trivia for From Here to Eternity (1953) Eli Wallach accepted the role of Angelo Maggio, but then turned it down because he had agreed to appear in Kazan's Broadway production of "Camino Real" and had a scheduling problem. Joan Crawford refused a role because she abhorred the costumes. Columbia Picturs head Harry Cohn wanted Aldo Ray to play Prewitt and Joan Crawford for the Karen Holmes role.

Director Fred Zinnemann had his own ideas. The scene in which Prew meets Maggio and Lorene in the bar after he walks off guard duty, was actually Frank Sinatra's screen test for the part of Maggio. To impress director Fred Zinnemann, he did an ad-lib using olives as dice and pretending to shoot craps. The entire sequence was kept as is and used in the picture. A false rumor has been circulating for years that George Reeves, who played Sgt. Maylon Stark, had his role drastically edited after preview audiences recognized him as TV's "Superman." According to director Fred Zinnemann, screenwriter Daniel Taradash and assistant director Earl Bellamy, the rumor is false. Every scene written for Reeves' character was filmed, and each of those scenes is still present in its entirety in the film as released. Montgomery Clift didn't manage to move like a boxer despite extensive boxing lessons, so he had to be doubled by a real boxer for the long shots in the boxing match. The fight had to be carefully edited so the close-ups and other shots matched satisfactorily. Nonetheless, the use of the double is obvious if you pay attention to the details.

In the scene where Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift play drunk sitting on the street, Clift actually was drunk, but Lancaster was not. The novel was deemed unfilmable for a long time because of its negative portrayal of the US Army (which would prevent the Army from supporting the film with people and hardware/logistics) and the profanity. To get Army support and pass the censorship of the time, crucial details had to be changed. The brothel became a night club, the whores: hostesses. The profanity was removed, the brutal treatment in the stockade toned down and Captain Holmes removed from the army instead of promoted. Joan Fontaine was offered the role of Karen Holmes but had to decline due to family problems. She now regrets it and blames the failure of her late career to turning down the offer. The now classic scene between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in the rushing water on the beach was not written to take place there. The idea to film with the waves hitting them was a last minute inspiration from the director. Harry Cohn was so convinced that Deborah Kerr could not be "sexy" enough to play the lead in this film that he almost did not cast her. The novel was a best seller when it was released.

One actor always bragged to his friends that if they ever made a film of the book, he'd play a part. Shortly after saying this, he was actually called to audition for the film. The actor was Ernest Borgnine. Cameo: [James Jones] in the background chatting with hostesses and other soldiers over Ernest Borgnine's shoulder as Fatso (Borgnine) plays the piano at the New Congress Club. Shot in a mere 41 days and for only $1 million. Frank Sinatra had to campaign especially hard to get this part as his career had hit a low point by this time. The title phrase comes originally from Rudyard Kipling's 1892 poem "Gentlemen-Rankers," about soldiers of the British Empire who had "lost [their] way" and were "damned from here to eternity." Shelley Winters turned down the role of Alma, as she had just given birth to her daughter Vittoria. Goofs for From Here to Eternity (1953) Factual errors: The impromptu bugle solo in the club is obviously a trumpet solo dubbed into the scene.

There's no way a valve-less bugle could achieve the range of notes heard in that solo. Continuity: In the bar fight scene between Fatso and Maggio, Sgt. Warden breaks a bottle to stop the fight and eventually throws the broken bottle across the room. Later, the smashed bottle is visible on the table in a close-up. Continuity: When Sergeant Warden walks over with Private Prewitt to the Supply store, we first see Corporal Leva with his hand at his ear. In the next shot, his hand is down on the table. Continuity: When Private Maggio is dressing and using the talcum powder, he's holding it with his right hand after the last soldiers leave and then powders his left arm. In the next shot immediately after, he's placing it on a shelf in his locker with his left hand. Boom mike visible: When 1st Sgt. Milton Warden is walking Pvt. Robert E. Lee 'Prew' Prewitt over to Supply, the shadow of the boom mike can be seen on Prewitt's blouse. Continuity: During Sgt. Warden's visit (pretending to look for Capt.

Holmes), Karen tells him that she will phone her husband and walks to the dining room. When she stands in the doorway, we see two chairs inside, on the left. In the next shot, they both enter the room and the chairs are not there. Continuity: Inside the dining room, Sgt. Warden puts some rolled up sheets of paper on the table. When Karen picks them up, they are unrolled. Continuity: When Prewitt dies, his face turns to his left-hand side. Later his face appears turned to the right.

DVD Details From Here to Eternity (1953) Product Details Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC Region: Region 1 DVD Release Date: October 23, 2001 Run Time: 118 minutes DVD Features Available Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Georgian, Thai, Chinese Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Portuguese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) Commentary by: Tim Zinnemann (Fred Zinnemann's son) and Alvin Sargent (longtime friend of the director and a featured player in From Here to Eternity) Exclusive featurette: "The Making of From Here to Eternity" Featurette: "Excerpts from Fred Zinnemann: As I See It" Talent Files (Fred Zinnemann, writer Daniel Taradash, Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, and Frank Sinatra) From Here to Eternity - Buy, Rent, and Watch Movies & TV on Flixster Flixster Audience Score:

 84% Flixster User Reviews Carlos Magalhï¿½es The camera loves Montgomery Clift and his perfect face, and he is exceptional as always along with Lancaster and Sinatra, but while during its first hour it… More The camera loves Montgomery Clift and his perfect face, and he is exceptional as always along with Lancaster and Sinatra, but while during its first hour it feels like a film that you can watch forever, it soon starts to drag and make all too evident its lack of a well-defined structure.

Aj V An absolute classic fifties movie about love and war. Highly dramatic, highly exciting, and highly romantic. A terrific movie. xGary Xx From Here To Eternity is something of a classic and relaunched the career of Oscar winner Frank Sinatra who allegedly got the part because a friend of the… More From Here To Eternity is something of a classic and relaunched the career of Oscar winner Frank Sinatra who allegedly got the part because a friend of the family made an offer that couldn't be refused...It's a rather soapy affair as it follows the trials and tribulations of a group of soldiers posted at a base in Pearl Harbour in the days leading up to the Japanese attack. To be honest, it's not really the kind of film I usually enjoy; the love scene between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr is one of the most famous ever filmed, but I personally much preferred the on base drama between he, stubborn conscientious objector Montgomery Clift and likable sidekick Sinatra than the romantic melodrama that punctuates it. But that's probably just because of that pesky Y chromosome.

The plot could easily have descended into corn territory, but strong performances from all the main characters keep it just the right side of cheese, and it's infinitely more sophisticated and mature than the cinematic war crime that is Pearl Harbor. Red Lats When we visited Hawa'ii, we were told about the famous Burt Lancaster-Deborah Kerr scene on the Hawai'i beach, so I had to see this movie when the… More When we visited Hawa'ii, we were told about the famous Burt Lancaster-Deborah Kerr scene on the Hawai'i beach, so I had to see this movie when the opportunity arose. Who knew it was another Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbour movie? It won eight Oscars in 1953 Chris Weber Set in the weeks leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, this is an easy paced (re: leisurely) melodrama focusing on several people at and around the… More Set in the weeks leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, this is an easy paced (re: leisurely) melodrama focusing on several people at and around the Schofield Army Barracks in Honolulu. It's based on an acclaimed novel (though the film was heavily toned down) and won a ton of Oscars, including Best Picture.

It's a fair enough film, although I think it's mostly carried by the performances rather than the story lines, and also the performances probably stand out as better overall than the film as a whole. I wasn't sure I'd like it, what with all you ever seem to hear about it being in reference to the legendary scene where Lancaster and Kerr embrace on a beach as waves crash around them. There's some macho guy type stuff, and that's good, but I could have used more of that, and just an uncompromised adaptation in general. The cast is notable, with appearances from Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank SInatra (in a great, Oscar winning role), and the wonderful Ernest Borgnine as an antagonist of sorts. They all do a great job, and Sinatra I feel did really deserve his Oscar. All in all, a decent enough film. Zinnemann knew how to tell a great story, and it is shot well, but I don't think it's as good as it's made out to be. Still though, I was entertained, and it is better than the similar stuff that Michael Bay did in his infamous account of Pearl Harbor, so take that as some sort of recommendation.

Mark Hobin Leisurely paced WWII story about the months preceding the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. Best remembered for the romantic… More Leisurely paced WWII story about the months preceding the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. Best remembered for the romantic rendezvous between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr embracing on the beach as the waves crash over them. Be that as it may, this film is better appreciated as an acting powerhouse featuring one of the greatest casts of any film. Montgomery Clift is memorable as a private whose life is made miserable by an army captain when he refuses to fight in the regiment's boxing team. Burt Lancaster is also excellent as a sergeant involved in an affair with his commander's wife. Too emotionally sentimental to be a war movie and too macho to be a romantic drama. This entertaining (albeit overrated) literary adaptation fits somewhere in the middle. Received thirteen Academy Award nominations and won eight, including Best Picture. danny d this film deserves its reputation as a piece of classic cinema. great performances, excellent character development, and solid build up to the war scenes at… More this film deserves its reputation as a piece of classic cinema.

great performances, excellent character development, and solid build up to the war scenes at the end. clift's storyline specifically made the film. there was a glaring flaw in the final scene of the film, but every moment until then was fantastic. jay nixon

Question: Which winner of the 1953 Best Film Oscar is set in a Honolulu barracks immediately before and during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour?
Answer: FROM HERE TO ETERNITY